As US citizens batten down the hatches in preparation for protests, riots and general mayhem on the streets after Tuesday’s presidential election, one Antifa-affiliated group is publishing riot strategy guides on Twitter.
The self-proclaimed “decentralized anarchist collective” CrimethInc has shared a slew of instructionals covering everything from rioter fashionadvice, to first aid for protesters, including how to manage common injuries from police weapons and even how best to treat gunshot wounds.
As the election looms along with the potential of street conflict, here's a thread listing an array of informative guides. Let's review everything we've learned over the past several years.https://t.co/SD5qHPfQWI
Within the thread are specific posts relating to helmets, gas masks, goggles, how best to deploy leaf blowers and laser pointers, as well as best practices for brandishing shields and umbrellas in the face of tear gas and on-lethal police munitions.
CrimethInc even provided a handy protest simulator for would-be anarchists to test their mettle against the authorities in a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ game.
You can't always predict how things will go in advance, but it helps to show up with a solid goal and a plan. It's better to set an objective and achieve it than to hope someone else has done the planning.
Of course, the CrimethInc account was quick to add a caveat for the audience, hoping for an anarchist utopia to spring up overnight and preclude the need for any post-election street violence in the extremely unlikely event that both the Democrats and Republicans suddenly decide to scrap the whole thing.
“We hope none of this will be necessary—we hope Trump will concede the election, Biden and all the other politicians will resign, and we’ll suddenly find ourselves in a world without capitalism, white supremacy, or the state,” the post reads, before alluding to the “long fight ahead.”
We hope none of this will be necessary—we hope Trump will concede the election, Biden and all the other politicians will resign, and we'll suddenly find ourselves in a world without capitalism, white supremacy, or the state.
Many derided the would-be revolutionaries, comparing them to children, while some complained they were exacerbating the social problems in the US, while others expressed dismay at how bad the situation has become. Many just laughed at the impending chaos.
Others cautioned that such posts would merely ramp up tensions across the US, and possibly incite more extreme violence than that which was witnessed across the country this past summer.
Others still claimed that this type of online rhetoric merely inspired so-called “spite votes” for Trump and may result in his re-election.
Meanwhile, local and state officials have warned of violence across the US on election day while business-owners nationwide have already begunboarding up their buildings.
Some people are also advising their fellow citizens to stockpile a week’s worth of supplies in anticipation of the violence on the streets.
Something both SAD and SMART about NYC “battening down the hatches” ahead of Tuesday. RIOTS expected. The EMPIRE STATE BUILDING is BOARDED UP ALREADY. They can’t count on @BilldeBlasio pic.twitter.com/NPVBONdgf7
— Greg Kelly—my VACCINE status is MY BUSINESS. (@gregkellyusa) November 1, 2020
The slew of racial and social justice protests across the US over the past few months, sparked initially by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, may provide some idea of what US citizens, of whatever political ilk, can expect as the ballots are counted and the results announced over the course of Tuesday night.
Fort White House? ‘Non-scalable’ fence to be installed around president’s residence ahead of election – reports
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
The YPG claims the Turkish president failing to win another term would be payback for Ankara’s counter-terrorism operations in Syria
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s defeat in this month’s presidential election would serve as “revenge” for Türkiye’s military operations in Syria, a top official of the People’s Defense Units (YPG) has said.
Salih Muslim, one of the leaders of the YPG — a Syrian militant group affiliated with the Turkish Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and designated by Ankara as a terrorist organization — said in an interview with Medya Haber Kurdish TV channel that his organization has grown frustrated with Türkiye’s counterterrorism operations ongoing in the northern part of Syria since 2016, Daily Sabah reported.
“Now, we have an opportunity in our hands,” Muslim said, stressing that the YPG is eager to see Erdogan unseated. “It’s the first time we have such a thing happening in elections.” He added that “If we can win at the ballot box, we will take all the revenge from [the defeat of] one person.”
Muslim’s statement comes as several members of the YPG and the PKK have openly expressed support for Erdogan’s main challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, as the two head into a runoff election on May 28. In the previous round, held on May 14, both candidates failed to secure an outright majority with Erdogan gaining just over 49.4% of the vote while Kilicdaroglu received 44.96%.
Kilicdaroglu has vowed to mend Ankara’s relations with NATO and revive Türkiye’s EU membership talks, which have been effectively stalled since 2016. He has also accused Russia of spreading “conspiracies” and “deep fakes” apparently referring to footage circulating online purportedly linking him to the PKK, and told Moscow to get its “hands off the Turkish state.” Russia has rejected the accusations.
Somalis cheer on Türkiye’s Erdogan to win re-election
Erdogan has repeatedly accused his rival of “colluding with terrorists” and threatening to undo Türkiye’s achievements in its war on terror. He has also blasted Kilicdaroglu for trying to “detach” the country from Russia.
Türkiye has been waging low-intensity warfare against Kurdish militias along its Syrian and Iraqi borders for four decades, in a back-and-forth campaign that has claimed the lives of over 40,000 people.
The PKK and its affiliates have been waging an insurgency since 1984 demanding political and cultural autonomy with the final goal of establishing an independent Kurdish State, laying claim to territories in southeast Türkiye and northern parts of Iraq and Syria.
You can share this story on social media:
PLEASANT MUSIC FOR YOUR CAFE, BAR, RESTAURANT, SWEET SHOP, HOME
Li Hui visited Kiev to share Beijing’s views on a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has met with China’s newly appointed special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, who traveled to Kiev to convey Beijing’s views on a diplomatic resolution to Ukraine’s conflict with Russia.
According to a statement published on Thursday by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Li held talks with Zelensky as well as the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Andrey Yermak, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, and representatives from several other ministries.
Beijing said both sides had agreed that the recent phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Zelensky had outlined the direction for future relations between their two nations, which it stated should be built on mutual respect and sincerity.
During his trip, Li reiterated that Beijing is willing to serve as a peace broker to help reach a political resolution to the conflict with Russia, based on the principles outlined in a 12-point roadmap published by China in late February.
“There is no panacea in resolving the crisis. All parties need to start from themselves, accumulate mutual trust, and create conditions for ending the war and engaging in peace talks,” Li said, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s statement.
The special envoy’s two-day trip to Ukraine is the first leg of a wider European tour, during which he is expected to visit Poland, France, Germany, and Russia. Beijing has explained that the trip aims to promote communication toward “a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.”
Hungary backs Chinese plan for Ukraine
China’s peace efforts have been welcomed by Russia as well as some European nations such as Hungary, and have been praised for acknowledging the national interests of both parties.
The roadmap, however, has been criticized by some in the West. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg claimed that China lacked “credibility” as it has refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell insisted that “the only thing that can be called a peace plan is Zelensky’s proposal.”
The Ukrainian president has demanded that Russia must withdraw from territories that Kiev claims as its own, as well as pay war reparations and face an international tribunal. The Kremlin has dismissed the initiative, claiming it does not take into consideration “the realities on the ground,” including the new status of four former Ukrainian regions as part of Russia.
You can share this story on social media:
PLEASANT MUSIC FOR YOUR CAFE, BAR, RESTAURANT, SWEET SHOP, HOME
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ordered the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, whose arrest earlier this week triggered deadly protests across the country, Geo TV news channel has reported.
The court considered an appeal by Khan’s legal team on Thursday, ruling that the arrest of the opposition figure was illegal, according to the broadcaster.
The leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was detained on an order from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday as soon as he arrived at a lower court in connection with a graft case against him. He has been held at a police compound in the capital, Islamabad, since then.
Khan’s spokesperson told Al Jazeera that the 70-year-old was apprehended in court before he could even appear before the judges, which was “in violation of all laws.” The PTI party claimed that it was not an arrest, but “an abduction,” and called on its supporters to take the streets.
Pakistan deploys army after Imran Khan’s arrest
Pakistan has been gripped by violent protests for the last three days, with demonstrators clashing with security forces and setting government buildings on fire in major cities across the country. The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has deployed the military in an attempt to curb the unrest.
Some 2,500 of Khan’s supporters, including some top figures in his party, have been arrested so far. Local media have reported at least 11 protesters killed and hundreds of police officers wounded.
Numerous criminal cases have been launched against Khan since his removal from office after a no-confidence vote in April 2022. The PTI leader, who remains highly popular in the country, denies all accusations against him.
The politician claimed a year ago that he had been deposed as a result of a US-led “international conspiracy” and accused his opponents of receiving money from foreign forces.
Khan has been making active attempts to return to power since then, staging massive rallies across the country. The former premier survived an assassination attempt last November, escaping with a non-life-threatening leg wound after several bullets were fired at him.
You can share this story on social media:
PLEASANT MUSIC FOR YOUR CAFE, BAR, RESTAURANT, SWEET SHOP, HOME